Comparing Olivet and Revelation's First 5 Seals

The first thing Jesus tells the disciples is that “many” will come on the scene claiming to be the Messiah, and they will deceive many. The question becomes, “How will they be so convincing?” The answer is found in Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” We are a people that tend to embrace the adage “seeing is believing.” The truth is that you can’t believe everything you see. What you see can be deceiving, and the time is coming when these false Messiahs and false prophets will become more and more convincing. They will do great miracles, but these miracles will be of Satanic origin.

Next the Lord tells the disciples that they will hear of “wars and rumors of wars.” The Lord then states that this should not terrify them because these things are necessary to the fulfillment of God’s overall plan. Jesus goes on to state that these conflicts will involve nation vs. nation and kingdom vs. kingdom. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Jewish Christian biblical scholar, this is a Jewish idiom referencing world war—an event unique to the 20th century.

Along with these world conflicts, humanity will also experience famines, pestilences, earthquakes, troubles, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Matthew and Mark record that these signs are identified as the “beginnings of sorrows,” a term that in the Greek is a reference to the pains of childbirth. This indicates that they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time for fulfillment draws near.

The disciples are then told that they will experience persecution, some to the point of death, because of their testimony and commitment to the Lord Jesus. The sad truth is that many will be betrayed by their parents, their brothers and sisters, and their children. Why will family turn on family? I think one of the keys is found in Matthews 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Iniquity is transgression of the law, and in context the reference would be to God’s law. When God’s law is ignored, then wickedness and unrighteousness become more prevalent. That in turn moves one further and further from the source of love. Another key is the impact of the teaching of false prophets. Religious impostors are always going to lead one away from the truth of God’s word. The further we get from God and His word, iniquity becomes more prevalent, and the more love vanishes from our way of life and the value of human life lessens. The apostle John summarized this truth in 1John 4:8, “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.”

It’s at this point that I can’t help but make a connection to the first five seals that are opened in Revelation 6. The birth and rise to power of the Antichrist will introduce the final false messiah and his false prophet and is represented by the first seal. History records the 20th century as the bloodiest century ever, and it began with the first “world” war. Wars and rumors of wars have steadily increased since that time. This readily corresponds to the rider on the red horse that is released with the opening of the second seal. According to Wikipedia, approximately 70 million people died from famine in the 20th century. As of December 29, 2007, the world’s population has exploded to over 6.5 billion people. A shortage of food for such a huge world population along with continuing inflation of world currency coincide directly with the release of the rider on the black horse at the opening of the third seal. Pestilence is a reference to plague and disease. An internet search will quickly reveal that diseases are on the increase worldwide and that new diseases are emerging as a result of man’s impact on the world’s ecology and environment. The opening of the fourth seal releases a rider on a pale horse that represents the deaths of one-fourth of mankind due to wars, hunger (resulting from famine and a large poor population), and diseases. The opening of the fifth seal is a picture of the martyred believers throughout the church age. The connection between these “signs” and the first five seals are too strong for coincidence in my opinion. I believe the first seal was opened when the future Antichrist, whom I believe is already on the world stage, was born or when he first became a player in national or international politics. I don’t think the exact timing can be known except in retrospect. When that timing is known, the obvious parallel between these signs identified by Jesus and their increase in frequency and intensity will fit the prophetic outline to the smallest detail.